Hollywood journo describes path to the Peace Corps

Sean Smith, the Entertainment Weekly bureau chief in L.A. who quit last week (read his farewell email) to serve in the Peace Corps, writes at the Daily Beast that Angelina Jolie is to blame. He means it.

Because of something she said to me in India four years ago, I have quit my 13-year career as an entertainment journalist, have given away almost everything I own, and at 43, have joined the Peace Corps.

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Writing about Hollywood is like being a reporter at Disneyland. At first, you can’t believe that you get to spend every day in The Happiest Place on Earth. Everyone wants to ask you about your work. You’re surrounded by princesses, and the sky sparkles with pixie dust. But as the years go on, you learn about the oily machinery that manufactures all that enchantment. You see what Cinderella’s really like when that glass slipper comes off. And then one day you notice that the magic is gone, and all you’re left with is a small, small world.

So I was seeking something authentic when I arrived in India, and I got more than I bargained for.